small biz trends

In his State of the Union address last week, President Obama had a lot to offer to the nation’s small businesses. Here are some of the ideas he proposed:

• Using $30 billion in TARP funds that the big banks have repaid to help community banks make additional loans to small businesses.

• Eliminating all capital gains taxes on investments in small businesses.

• Offering tax incentives for businesses that invest in new plants and equipment.

• Eliminating tax cuts for companies that move jobs overseas.

• Passing comprehensive energy and climate legislation to promote energy independence. Ultimately, President Obama said, the transition to a clean energy economy would create millions of new American jobs.

• A National Export Initiative to help small businesses increase exports. The president vowed, “We will double our exports over the next five years, an increase that will support 2 million new jobs in America.”

Jobs were the number one concern for the president going into his address, and the proposal that has drawn the most attention so far was his announcement of tax credits for businesses that hire employees or give existing workers raises. President Obama spelled out more specifics of that plan January 28th in Baltimore. According to the White House web site, here are the details:

Through the Small Business Jobs and Wages Tax Cut:

• Businesses will receive a $5,000 tax credit for every net new employee that they employ in 2010. The total amount of the credit for any one firm will be capped at $500,000, to ensure that the majority of the benefit is targeted at small businesses. Start–ups will be eligible for half of the tax credit.

• Small businesses that increase wages or hours for their existing employees will be reimbursed for the Social Security payroll taxes they pay on real increases in their payrolls. This bonus would be based on Social Security payrolls, so it would not apply to wage increases above the current taxable maximum of $106,800.

• Firms will be able to claim the credit on a quarterly basis. This will get money out to businesses quickly and provide an incentive to hire and increase payrolls.

More details about the president’s other proposals will be announced in the coming weeks. In my opinion, many of these proposals are a step in the right direction—but, even if they get beyond the proposal stage, I’m not sure how quickly they can affect small businesses.

For instance, increasing exporting is an admirable goal, but one that’s easier for bigger businesses than small businesses to achieve. Succeeding in exporting is not a quick or easy process. And small businesses seeking to increase exporting or get involved in it for the first time will most likely need capital to do so.

Similarly, expanding tax credits to encourage hiring is a positive idea, but is a $5,000 credit enough to offset it the expense of hiring a full-time employee? Many small-business owners I know have gone without salaries themselves to get through the Great Recession. Do they have the money or confidence to add staff?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the President’s proposals.

From Small Business Trends

President Obama Proposes Tax Credits, Other Assistance for Small Businesses

The days of the cold static site are coming to end. Customers are tired of being talked at and are ready to get in the conversation. They’re looking for sites where they can go to hear from you, but also where they can hang out and let you hear from them. The Web and business are both becoming more social and that means creating an environment on your site where customers can meet other people, share their thoughts and create a home around your brand.

Sometimes creating a community on your site means building that blog, allowing comments and inviting people in.  But sometimes it simply means getting out of your communities way.  What are some of the most common actions that discourage a community from growing on your site?

Here are seven to be aware of.

Attempt to Control It

It’s natural to want to use a heavy-hand when dealing with your community. It’s your site and you want to make sure things are going as you see fit. The need to control comes from fear. You’re not comfortable with the tone of the conversation, how people are interacting or even what they’re talking about – so you step in to control it and shut everything down. Unfortunately, instead of directing the conversation you end up stifling it and changing the vibe and openness of the community. And then your talkers go elsewhere. As a site owner, you’re in charge of your community. You are in charge of making sure that it stays healthy and productive, however, be careful of laying too heavy of a hand. Your audience will have a way that they prefer to interact and talk to one another. If you try and control how they’re able to do that or restrict certain behaviors, you’ll likely send them running to someone else’s home.

Silence Criticism

There’s no quicker way to burn a good community than to start silencing those who vocally disagree with your or critique the way you do things. While it’s sometimes hard to hear negative things being said about your or your company, it’s far better to have them be said on your site than off of it. By letting those comments live and positively responding to them you show the community that you’re there to listen and that you believe in what you’re doing. The whole point of creating a community is to encourage people to share their experiences so that you can improve your service. Allowing a free conversation and responding well to criticism is how you will earn trust with your audience.

Ignore it

How many times have you landed on a blog and noticed that the comments were filled with nothing but unanswered questions? How many times have you watched people vocally complain on Twitter and been surprised that no one from the organization has stepped in? How many times have you emailed a business and had the message completely ignored? It stinks! People want to belong to communities that value them and their participation. One of the best ways to burn a good community is to start ignoring it. People have come together because they care about you and the service that your provide. Get involved! Show people that you’re listening and want to be part of the conversation. No one likes talking to a wall.

Isolate Newbies

This can be a real problem with establish communities. Over time community members begin to know one another. There’s
a familiarity there, filled with inside jokes from conversations that happened in the comments six months ago. Why these things are great for longstanding members, they can isolate people who are new to your site. It’s like sitting at the lunch table and watching everyone laugh at a job you’re not in on. Find ways to bring new members in and make them feel welcome right off the bat. Encourage them to introduce themselves. Use Wordpress plugins that identify new commenters to greet them with a different page than old-timers when they leave a reply. From here you can point them to popular old posts or conversation threads that will keep coming up. The quicker you can make them feel part of your group, the better the experience for them. It’s a great way to bring people in.

Don’t Listen

Many of those in your community are probably customers or at least potential customers. That means when they offer an opinion about how you can improve some aspect of your site or business, listen. Even if you don’t think they’re right or that it will work for you, at least acknowledge that they took the time to say something. Showing that you’re open for feedback makes them feel more valuable and it may open up doors to you that you wouldn’t have seen yourself. I’m constantly getting emails or tweets directed at me about things I can be doing better, new plugins we should use, or things they think we should fix or tackle. Big companies PAY customers for these kinds of insights. If your audience is kind enough to offer them up for free, don’t be shy about listening.

Discourage Member Communication

Let your members talk to one another! While some site owners totally ignore the community, others try to hop in answer every question before anyone else can offer help. This isn’t always the best course of action. You want community members to get into the habit of helping and supporting one another. These kinds of actions are huge health indicators for your community and are behaviors that should be encouraged. It’s good that your members want to send messages to one another, to offer resource links and to offer personal knowledge. Let them do it.

Allow No Way To Contact You

Very often community members may have something to say or contribute but they don’t want to do it in front of everyone. Sometimes they have a question about a product, they want clarification on a blog post you wrote or maybe they want to alert you to a typo on your Web site. Make it easy for people to get in touch with you by prominently displaying an email address, a Twitter handle or phone number. However you want people to get in touch with you, direct people to that. By making this information easily accessible, it helps show customers that you’re real and that you’re around should they ever have a problem. That’s a big trust factor for a lot of people.

Those are some of the most common ways I’ve watched companies kill their own communities.  Any other favorite examples?

From Small Business Trends

How to Prevent a Community From Growing On Your Site

In a recent AP-GFK poll, 72% of Americans said they’re optimistic about what 2010 will bring for the country. That’s a dramatic difference from their same poll answer where almost 75% of them thought 2009 was a bad year for the country.

Despite the recent earthquake tragedy in Haiti (and who knows what else the year will bring), I’ve noticed that people are generally much more hopeful this year. I know I am!

Here are some resolutions you can make, to have a great business and a great life in 2010:

1. I will first schedule for the year all activities that support my health and family (including workouts, doctor appointments, vacations, family events). Why? Because without these, I won’t be able to be productive in my business.

2. Each day, I will put appointments with enough time (and some extra built in) to complete my day’s top 2 business activities. I will work on these even before I check my email (thanks for this great idea from Tim Ferriss of the 4-Hour Work Week fame – it really works!). These will be my business priorities for the day. Once they are completed, I can work on other business activities.

3. By the middle of each day, I’ll make sure to take a moment and determine if I have helped someone today. If so, continue with my activities. If not, take action to help someone in need – anything from returning an email from someone who needs help, making a phone call to someone who suffered a recent setback, or even just giving a compliment to someone.

4. I will backup my files in the easiest way possible, automatically, by using Carbonite.

5. I will meet regularly with my trusted advisors. These advisors may include my business coach, accountant, publicist, and banker.  These folks are critical to the success of my life and business.

6. I will put aside a reserve of money, or get a line of credit, so I will never feel “desperate.” I know that clients can sense desperation, and I won’t attract them if I feel that way. Plus, if I am not desperate for the money, I won’t have to take on clients who will drain me.

7. Each day, I will put a 30-minute appointment on my calendar to learn something new. In today’s world, we all have to be learning constantly, just to keep up. Each time I realize I need more knowledge of something, I’ll put it in one of my 30-minute appointment slots.

8. I will include marketing and business development activities in my business activities. This means that I may be scheduling time for social media promotion, Website updates, customer contacts, etc.

9. I will develop a consistent way to stay in front of current and potential clients. I know that this is the best way to grow my business. I can do this in many ways – through a newsletter, a regular Send Out Cards program, scheduled meetings and more.

10. If something doesn’t feel right, I won’t do it. I need to trust my gut. It’s usually right.

From Small Business Trends

10 Ways to Have a Great Business and a Great Life in 2010

In a recent New York Times opinion piece, Thomas Friedman argued that “Obama should make the centerpiece of his presidency mobilizing a million new start-up companies that won’t just give us temporary highway jobs, but lasting good jobs that keep America on the cutting edge.”

Friedman doesn’t say how the President would do this, but instead writes “Obama should bring together the country’s leading innovators and ask them: “’What legislation, what tax incentives, do we need right now to replicate you all a million times over’ — and make that his No. 1 priority. Inspiring, reviving and empowering Start-up America is his moon shot.”

It sounds great to call for a million new companies that create lasting good jobs, but how hard would it be to do?

I’m going to try to estimate the number of Americans that would need to try to start their own businesses to yield a million start-up companies that give us lasting good jobs.

To do that I need to leave aside part of what Mr. Friedman said and put definitions behind the rest. Let’s start with what I have to ignore. It would be great to create start-ups that “keep America on the cutting edge.” Unfortunately, keeping America on the cutting edge isn’t something that is easily quantified, so I’m not going to require that part.

I’m going to define “lasting good jobs” as jobs (the position, not the person in it) that last at least five years and pay at least as much as the average job in existing companies. This is admittedly an arbitrary definition of what a lasting good job is, but I need to define the concept to measure it.

To generate one million start-up companies that are around five years from now, we need to start 2.22 million companies today because only 45 percent of new businesses live five years.

To create jobs from start-ups, entrepreneurs need to create employer businesses. (A non-employer business might employ its founder but if the founder runs the new business instead of his or her old job, then no net jobs are created.) According to research by Paul Reynolds that examines the Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics, a nationally representative survey of the adult age population of the United States, only 19 percent of new business start-up efforts create employer businesses. So we need 11.7 million new businesses to create one million employer businesses that would be alive in five years.

But there’s another catch. Not everyone who begins the start-up process ends up creating a business. In fact, Reynolds’ research shows that only about 30 percent of start-up efforts result in an up-and-running company within six years. So if we factor in the success rate at new business creation, we need 39 million Americans to begin the start-up process to end up with one million new companies that are still alive and employing people five years later.

(Reynolds also says it takes 15 individuals beginning the start-up process to get an employer firm; using that estimate indicates that we need 33.3 million Americans to begin the start up process to end up with one million new companies that are still alive and employing people five years later.)

What about the quality of the jobs? According to the Census Bureau’s analysis of its Longitudinal Business Database, approximately 29 percent of five year old firms pay the average wage of businesses older than five. Using this number, I estimate that we need approximately 134.4 million Americans to begin the start-up process today to end up with one million five-year-old businesses employing people at above the average wage.

Every year about 14 million Americans get involved in the firm start-up process. So Friedman, Obama, or America’s leading innovators (or policy makers) could almost achieve Friedman’s goal if they could figure out how triple the number of Americans starting businesses every year for the remainder of the President’s first term.

While Friedman’s idea of creating one million start-up companies that create lasting good jobs is a noble goal, it’s a lot easier to say than to achieve. As anyone who has started a company knows, it is not easy to create businesses that have employees and pay them more than the average wage in this country five years after being founded.

From Small Business Trends

A Million Startups that Offer Lasting Good Jobs

If you struggle with tracking your time on client or company projects, you might want to check out Toggl for time tracking.  It is a web-based time-tracking tool to help you manage projects and how much time you spend on them each day.  I joined with a free subscription for this review.

Many applications offer some type of time tracking tool, but I’ve seen very few with the speed and ease of Toggl.  You can see in this screenshot that you click the little timer, enter a description and it starts timing your work. Click it again and it stops, records it, where you can instantly see it on the dashboard.

Let’s say you have a project that you jump in and out of through the day. You can simply open that task and start timing your progress again.  Or, you can create a new task against that project or client and it will auto-fill based on your previous entries or put in entirely new data.

Premium level users can let a team track time on a project, integrate it with Basecamp, and track your earnings. You can also create reports with your logo if you have to submit them to clients separately. Plans start at $5 a month up to $99 a month.

Best features:

• Downloads to CSV format for Microsoft Excel junkies
• Free account is very robust and let’s you slice and dice your project data by task, by project, by client and has decent reporting for no cost.
• You can run it as a standalone desktop application and it syncs up to the web when you connect again. Pretty cool.
• Right out of the gate, or off the home page I should say, they make it super easy for the user.  You can sign up by using your Google account (if you have one) username and password as your Toggl account setup.  They offer a Mac, Linux, iPhone, and Windows version of the application, too.
• You can choose if the project is “billable” or not.

What could they do better?

It is an elegant tool and one that doesn’t claim to do anything other than track time, but if I had to ask for one thing: It would be an alarm or timer that tells me when I’ve reached the amount of time I’ve actually scheduled for myself. One that rings loudly would be good!

Who is it for?

Any freelancer or small business owner who tracks their hours for customers or for internal projects. If you charge by the hour, Toggl is worth exploring.

Learn more about Toggl.

From Small Business Trends

Toggl: Time Tracking Made Easy

The next couple of months have some great events, conferences and webinars for growing small businesses and entrepreneurs. The following list of events is brought to you twice a month as a community service by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com.
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CurrentMom 2010 Conference
Feb. 1-3, 2010, Fort Lauderdale, FL

CurrentMom 2010 is the premier networking and educational event for entrepreneurial mothers. You will:

• Learn how to start and grow your business
• Enjoy Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa treatments — included with your registration
• Explore partnerships with other entrepreneurial moms
• Troubleshoot your business and marketing strategy

CurrentMom 2010 features two tracks of programming, for entrepreneurs just getting started and those already in business who want to break through to the next level. General sessions will address the issues all mom business owners face. Click here to REGISTER.

Trends For Your Small Business to Capitalize On
February 3, 2010, Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship Research

Anita Campbell of Small Business Trends will speak on the latest trends in the world of small business, what they mean, and how to capitalize on them.

Improve Your Brand by Using Online Video
February 3, 2010, Operation Hope, New York, 6-9pm EST

How would you like to build your brand? Are you confused about which video sites are best in helping you build your business (You Tube, Vimeo, Facebook)? Then this free event is for you. Learn how to become a video star and on camera expert in your field. Learn about what to say and not to say on camera. Featuring a panel discussion including representatives of Small Business Camp, Griot’s Roll Film, SHADES of a Diva, Kickable TV and Constant Contact. Optional video shoot follows.

Smart Business Moves Conference
February 3, 2010, Stamford, CT

One full day of marketing and viral networking strategies, keynotes by NY Times best selling authors, hour long seminars, panel discussions with congressional advocates, taping for website videos, head shots, business services, products, information, the latest in technology, success strategies, evening networking social and author reception with drinks, book signings, and live music by RSVP.

In addition to exhibitors, the event, which will be held from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., will include seminars and keynote speakers Bryan Eisenburg, marketing consulting and co-founder of FutureNow Inc., and Ilise Benun, co-founder of Marketing-Mentor.com. An hour-long networking social will conclude the program.

Understanding Google Maps & Local Search
February 4, 2010, Spokane, WA

There is a huge disconnect between what is happening in “local” and many of the businesses on the street that really need to leverage the possibilities for marketing that come from that knowledge. Getlisted.org Local University aims to fill that gap.

Our first event, with a choice of morning or afternoon session, is targeted to businesses that are beginning to explore the possibilities of online marketing. It will be jammed full of information with presentations from David Mihm, Matt McGee, Mary Bowling, Ed Reese of Spokane, Ari Bezman & Ryan Howard of Google. Use coupon code “mb2010″ to register for $79.

Entrepreneurial Woman’s Network Morning Workshop on Using Social Media
February 5, 2010, Norwalk, CT

If you are a female entrepreneur looking for education or inspiration, networking or support, the Westport, CT-based EWN offers you a range of business opportunities and events to help you grow your business. Join award-winning social media consultant, blogger, speaker, journalist and technologist, Lena L. West, as she makes social media easy-to-use and worthwhile. Create the makings of your own social media strategy.

Women Entrepreneurs Small Business Boot Camp
February 6, 2009, Phoenix, AZ

Celebrate the successes of the mighty micro-business. Expand your expertise, explore new opportunities, gain new resources, mingle with your peers and enjoy this exciting day of education and motivation that will energize, synergize and maximize your success. Sign up today. Hear two inspiring keynote speakers. Learn from nine talented workshop presenters . Visit 45 exhibitors and the speakers bookstore – Don’t miss the exclusive “Meet the Speakers” reception.

How Businesses Can Capitalize on the Rebounding Economy
February 9, 2010, San Franciso, CA

Inc. and Verio invite you to an exclusive event for private-company CEOs, business owners, and Inc. 500|5000 alumni. Entrepreneurs and private companies strive to reinvent the business landscape from the ground up in a forward-thinking way. Verio is hosting an interactive panel discussion on how to grow your small business.

Email Marketing Bootcamp
February 10-11, 2010, NYC

In just 2 information-packed days, this collaborative, hands-on workshop will show you how to create and send an effective email marketing program that gets the bottom-line results you’re looking for. You’ll learn the 12 fundamentals to developing professional emails that complement your current marketing efforts… support your organization’s goals… and strengthen your customer relationships. We supply the computer and an expert instructor while you work directly in your Constant Contact account so that you can instantly apply your new knowledge and skills as you learn them. The cost is $399.00 and includes:

• Continental breakfast, lunch, snacks, and beverages
• Constant Contact Participant’s Guide/Workbook
• Copy of E-Mail Marketing for Dummies
• Copy of The Constant Contact Guide to Email Marketing

This boot camp is limited to 30 attendees.

Women Business Owners Networking Cocktail Hour
February 11, 2010, 5:30-8pm, NYC

If you are woman who owns a business in New York City and are looking to become a resource to other WBO’s then this is for you. Event is Free. RSVP to (212) 209-3975 (no link).

How to Easily Use Web Video to Get More Customers
February 12, 2010, 10am PDT, webinar

It’s more important than ever to leverage video when marketing your business. If you’ve capture a video clip of one of your customers talking about you, or your product it’s a great way to potentially boost response. Join Andrew Lock, host of Help My Business Sucks weekly online TV Show, and VerticalResponse as we discuss how to easily leverage videos to drive business.

BlogWell: How Big Brands Use Social Media
February 16, 2009, San Diego, CA

This conference teaches you through case study discussions on social media programs from Starbucks, USAA, Clorox, Intuit, Avery, State Farm and Community Medical Centers. Brought to you by the Social Media Business Council and Gaspedal.

Startup Riot 2010
February 17, 2010, Atlanta, GA

Throughout this one-day conference 50 startups will take the stage and present themselves in 3 minutes and 4 slides. Presenters and attendees will have the opportunity to win prizes throughout the day. Click here to apply to attend or apply to present.

American Express OPEN Women’s Business Summit
February 17-18, 2010, Houston, TX

The New Rules of Doing Business for Women Entrepreneurs

Through the New Rules Summit, women entrepreneurs can learn what it’s going to take to thrive in the new economy by receiving real advice, business coaching and networking opportunities.

All registrants have the ability to attend sessions in any of the three conference tracks:
* The New Rules of Doing Business Seminars
* Make Mine a Million $ Business Workshops
* SCORE Speed Coaching Sessions

Learn About Web
February 18, 2010, Kennewick, WA

Local and nationally-known online marketing experts will present a one-day seminar for small business owners. Learn About Web is scheduled February 18 at the Home Builders Association building on Clearwater Avenue. This full-day seminar is $99 through February 12. Sessions will focus on SEO and local search (Google Maps, etc.), social media (Twitter, Facebook), blogging, and web design.

New Media & Technology Conference
February 19, 2010, Frederick, MD

Interactive seminars will provide an intensive review of strategies and tools that businesses can use to reach out to customers and grow their bottom line.  There are breakout sessions for beginning, intermediate, and advanced participants on topics such as Twitter, Facebook, email campaigns, blogging, and more. Those with little or no experience will have as much to gain as those who are skilled users! Keynote “How is new media & technology changing the way we do business?” by Shashi Bellamkonda, Social Media Swami at Network Solutions.

National Entrepreneurship Week
February 20- 27, 2010, Across the U.S.

On February 20 – 27, 2010, the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education will sponsor the 4th annual National Entrepreneurship Week. The focus is on entrepreneurship education and there will be events across the United States. (Note: not to be confused with Global Entrepreneurship Week, which occurs every November and is supported by the Kauffman Foundation.) For events, please see the National Entrepreneurship Week website, and click the interactive map.

Start-a-Business Base Camp
February 20 – March 20, 2010, Toronto, ON

Are you a women entrepreneur who is ready to move forward with launching a business? In this 5-week workshop, we’ll take your vision from raw to ripe, guiding you through all the steps required to launch a successful business.

How to Write a Business Plan
February 24, 2010, Providence RI

This workshop will provide a hands-on overview of what goes into a well-written business plan that will get read by investors and other people that you need to reach. It will be led by Jack Derby, president of Derby Management Consultants in Boston, one of New England’s foremost business development experts. This workshop is part of a series leading up to the Rhode Island Business Plan Competition starting in April 2010.

How to Present Your Business Plan
March 18, 2010, Providence, RI

This interactive presentation will feature two veteran business developers who have worked with companies throughout New England on growth, turnaround, and acquisition strategies. This workshop is part of a series leading up to the Rhode Island Business Plan Competition starting in April 2010.

Turn Clicks into Conversations & Relationships
March 10, 2010, 10:00AM PT, Webinar

It takes more than a tweet to turn a follower into a customer, and a customer into loyal advocate. This webinar featuring Brent Leary will cover tools and techniques needed to turn content into conversations, conversations in the exchanges, and exchanges into long lasting customer relationships. Areas of focus will include tools for social listening, automating content creation and distribution, and steps for enhancing your customers’ experiences with your company by facilitating opportunities for them to connect with each other.

GROWCO Grow Your Company Conference
March 14-16, 2010, Orlando, FL

In 2010, Inc.’s GROWCO Conference pulls together a dynamic program with a curriculum designed specifically for the nation’s rising entrepreneurial stars, including smaller organizations that want to make an appearance on the Inc. 5000 and Inc. 5000 honorees that want to break into the higher ranks of the list or repeat their success in years to come. High-profile growth experts teach seminars that will give attendees actionable information with which to develop or maintain their own growth initiative. $595 early bird rate through January 15, 2010, $895 after.

Fifth Annual Small Business Summit
March 16, 2010, NYC

The Summit is for small business owners and entrepreneurs who want to meet the challenges of the new economy head-on and THRIVE in 2010. Our theme this year is Business & Technology: Strategies for the New Economy.

We have some incredible speakers lined up for this year’s Summit, including Seth Godin, who will be talking about being indispensable to your customers. The Summit is always about generating great ideas from some of the best talent in the business world, but also about networking, making profitable connections and having fun.

New this year is the Small Business Strategy Award. One attendee will be recognized for entrepreneurial strategic excellence that has led to significant increased profits, expanded market and/or improved market position. Apply directly online.

Early bird registration (before March 1st) is $149 for the all day event.

To find more small business events, contests and awards, visit our Small Business Events Calendar.

If you are putting on a small business contest, award or competition, and want to get the word out to the community, please submit it through our Events & Contests Submission Form (We do not charge a fee to be included in this listing — it is completely free to list your event.) Only events of interest to small business people, freelancers and entrepreneurs will be considered and included.

From Small Business Trends

Latest Events List for Growing Companies